Piston and cylinder construction for engines or pumps



u H. J. GEBHARDT. PISTON AND CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION FOR ENGINES 0R PUMPS,

` APPUCTION FILED Aug-30| 1918. l 1,364,929. Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

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H. J. GEBHARDT. PISTON AND CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION FOR ENGINES 0R PUMPS.

l APPLICATION vmep Auegso. ma. l 1,364,929, Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

2 sains-sneer 2 m Y w m UNITED STATI-:s

PATENT OFFICE.

HENRY J'. GEBHABDT, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

'PISTON AND CYLINDER CONSTRUCTION FOR ENGINES 0R PUMPS.

1 To all 'whom it may concern.'

. lar character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends Be it known that I, HENRY J. GnHAnnT, a citizen of the United States of America, and resident of Chicago, Illinois, have-1nvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Piston and Cylinder Construction for Engines or Pumps, Iof which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to engines or pumps in which reciprocating pistons are c mployed, and inY which the piston and cylinder have relative reciprocation.

rIlhis application ,is subordinate to my prior application No. 229,496, in' which I have claimed the invention broadly.

The object of the resent invention 1s to provide an improve construction and an arrangement which will obviate the neces- .sity of using piston rings in an engine or pump of this general character.

It is also an object to provide 'certain details and features of construction and combinations tending to increase the general eiiiciency and the desirability of a piston and cylinder construction of thisparticuthe invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged horizontal section on line 2-2 in Fig. l.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail vertical section on line 3--3 in Fig. 1.

As thus illustrated, the cylinder construction comprises a body wall 1 having a removable head 2 provided with three depending cylinders 3 which are spaced apart and arranged concentrically. The piston is formed by a 'central body 4 which is rigid with a head 5, which latter is provided with three upwardly extending cylinders or cylindric walls 6, the walls 3 being disposed between and alternating with the walls or cylinders 6, but these cylindric walls being preferably spaced a distance apart to prevent actual contact between them. Such actual Contact, however, will, although not positively necessary, do no harm, and the cylindric walls are preferably as close together as possible.

The piston can be operated in any suit- Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1921.

Application tiled lAugust 30, 1918. Serial No. 252,069.

able manner, and as shown is mounted on the upper end of a rod 7, the lower end of which is suitably connected with a cross head 8 that slides up and down inthe guides 9, and sald cross head is connected by a link or pitman 10 with the crank 11 on the crank shaft 12, in the usual or well known manner. The stroke of-the crank is such that the three cylindric walls 6 move downward a distance between the cylindric walls 3, but not sufficiently to be dlsengaged therefrom, and not to an extent to make leakage of the pressure from the cylinder possible.

The valve mechanism can be of any suitable, known or approved character. Preferably, the valves are constructed similarly to the piston and cylinder previously described. For example, the inlet valve comprises a vertically reciprocating set of cylindric walls 13 that slide up and down between the concentrically arranged cylinders or cylindric walls 14, the walls 14 having openings 15 which discharge the gas or gaseous mixture into the passage 16 when the walls 13 move far enough downward to uncover these openings. The walls 3 are mounted on a head 17, which reciprocates up and down in the cylinder body 18, and said head is connected by a pitman 19 with a crank 20 on a shaft 21 which is gear-connected with the crank shaft l2 previously described. In a similar manner the exhaust valve comprises a vertically reciprocating set of concentrically arranged walls 22 that slide upl and down between the concentrically arranged stationary walls 23, the latter having outlets 2,4 that 4are uncovered when the walls 22 slide downward to a predetermined point, thereby to enable tbe exhaustto pass out through the passage 25 and through the openings 24 into the general exhaust passage leading therefrom. A pitman 26 connects the pistonlike set of walls 22 with a crank 27 on the crank shaft 28, which latter is suitably gear-connected with the crank shaft 12 previously described. It will be understood that the gearing between the crank shaft 12 and the two lvalves is so timed or regulated and so conproducts of combustion are forced outward at the proper time. In other words, as shown, the construction is that. of a four-cycle internal combustion engine, and the gearing for the valves must be proportioned and adjusted for this purpose..

In said prior application the invention is claimed broadly, and is shown and described specifically as a valve, for any suitable purpose, such, for example, as those herein shown and described. As shown and described herein, the invention is employed in the construction and operation of an intei-nal combustion engine, but it is obvious that a piston and cylinder construction of this character may be used in steam en ines, or in pumps, without departing fromt e spirit of the invention. In whatever form the invention is used, however, it is apparent that frictionV and Wear are eliminated in the working parts, and that in an engine or pump piston rings are not necessary. The cylndric walls are so close together, and are of such area, that passage of the fluid pressure between them, whether it be water or steam or gas, is resisted by the friction between the Huid and the opposed surfaces of i the concentrically arranged cylinders, so that actual contact between the cylinders is not necessary, although such contact may occur without doing any harm and without departing from the spirit and intent of the invention. As herein shown and described, the two valves each comprise a piston and cylinder, and the construction is similar to that of the main piston and cylinder.

What I claim as my invention is 1. In a piston and cylinder construction, the combination of a cylinder structure, a piston in the cylinder, said cylinder struc-l ture having two Ior more concentric walls spaced apart, and said piston having two or more concentric walls, the walls of the cylinder structure alternating with the walls of the piston, withthe total area of the surfaces of said walls suicient to prevent leakage by their frictional resistance to the passage of the fluid pressure between them, so that with said walls disposed close together actual contact between said surfaces or any other provision involving frictional contact is not necessary to prevent leakage, and means whereby the cylinder structure and Lacasse the piston therein have relative reciprocating motion.

2. lA structure as specified in claim 1, the combined thickness of all of said walls forming the sides of the chamber in which the pressure is confined.

3. 4A structure as specified in claim 1, said vpiston comprising a central body inclosed by said Walls, with space between said central body and the inside piston wall to receive the inside cylinder Wall.

4. In a piston and cylinder construction, a reciprocating valve. therefor comprising a stationary set of cylindric walls, a piston head having a set of cylinders which alternate with said -cylindric walls, with the surfaces of said walls of sufficient area and close enou h together to prevent leakage by their frictional resistance to the 'passage of the fluid pressure between them, so that actual contact between said surfaces or any other provision is not necessary to prevent leakage, a connection for reciprocating said piston, and a crank shaft connected to operate said connection.

In a piston and c linder construction, a reciprocating piston lead having a set of cylinders, astationary set of cylinders alternating with said reciprocating cylinders, with the surfaces of said walls of suilicient area and close enough together to prevent leakage by their frictional resistancerto the passage of the Vfluid pressure between them, so that actual contact between said surfaces or any other provision'is not necessary to prevent leakage, means to provide fluid pressure to reciprocate said piston, and means to translate the reciprocation of said piston and its cylinders into rotary motion.

6. In a piston and cylinder construction, a piston adapted to reciprocate in a cylinder without frictional wear and without packing or the like to prevent leakage, having a plurality of relatively movable cylindric walls which remain opposed to each other for the full stroke of the piston, as a substitute for packing, one 'or more of said walls having the opposite surfaces thereof in contact with the opposing surfaces of other Walls, or so close as to be practically in contact. Signed.

HENRY J. GEBHARDT.

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